A Rainy Afternoon
by Supercaptain
Summary: The rain couldn’t stop the ray of sunshine that had just entered his life. Corny/Maybelle


Title: A Rainy Afternoon

Author: SC182

Rating: PG

Summary: The rain couldn't stop the ray of sunshine that had just entered his life

Pairing: Corny Collins/ Motormouth Maybelle

Author's Note: I tried to find a first name for Corny. My search was fruitless, so I took liberties.

His head was so far in the clouds thinking about one person in particular that he didn't notice the darkening of the sky or the telltale rumbling of thunder.

"Maybelle," he said with a sigh.

To an unknowing listener, the sigh might have seemed like the sound an anguished man made. No, there wasn't any anguish in Corny's situation. Simply silent adoration.

As he walked, he couldn't help but chastise himself, just a little. Really, he was a grown man. Thinking about his co-host though left him as awestruck and breathless as a teenager. Before the show was integrated, Corny and Maybelle had maintained a semi-formal acquaintance. Always friendly with each other and polite despite the distance that was implicitly expected of them.

Now Velma Von Tussle and all her all-consuming negativity had taken a hike and suddenly like the Land of Oz without the Wicked Witch of the West, things were good. Even the monsoon-like rain fall couldn't break Corny's spirit. Humid and wet, Baltimore felt more like a humid jungle than a city.

He scrambled through the rain. Fat drops of water exploded on the pavement like canon fire.

The day had been an exhausting one, but pleasant nonetheless. He'd always liked his job. Now, he liked it even more. Each day, he got to know Maybelle a little better, got to witness her wicked sense of humor, hear her infectious laughter, and her singing.

Her voice.

Corny loved to listen to her sing, even if she didn't know he was around to hear. Those sweet wordless hums, melodic and pure, a joy to his ears like warm rays of sun on his heart. The few times he did talk to her about it, he told her she could have her own show.

She simply swatted his arm and told him to "Hush".

The warmth and weight of her hand still lingered. At least in his mind.

She was beautiful, smart, and caring. Beautiful. He didn't know how many times she'd caught him staring, probably thinking he was a bit loony for acting the way he did. Again, he blushed like a smitten youth.

So caught up in his thoughts, he was startled as he ran into someone.

Suddenly, he and the other person were going down in a nice deep puddle. Wetness spread into his coat and all over his suit. He looked over ready to give the other person a piece of his mind, when he recognized the now extremely famous honey blonde hair.

"Ms. Maybelle?"

"Corny?"

He simply stared at her in surprise. It didn't dawn on him until she slipped back down into the water causing quite a splash that he too really needed to get out the rain. Thunder shook the sky as a long lightning bolt split the clouds.

"Come on." He jumped up grabbing her hand and pulling Maybelle to her feet.

His umbrella wasn't any good now. A freak gust had flipped it inside out leaving the two of them at the mercy of the torrential downpour.

"Back to the station." He yelled over the sound.

Maybelle gripped his hand in turn as they ran along the sidewalk skirting some large puddles, but falling victim to others. The studio was dark and vacant since filming was over for the day. Inside, there was only the sound of their feet against the linoleum floors and the inconsistent drip of water from their clothes.

Towards the back of the studio, a glimmer of light shown through a crack of a door. The thunder continued to roll and rain beat against the windows in long sweeping sheets. They walked towards the light.

As Corny pushed open the door separating the stage from the backstage dressing area, he realized he was still holding her hand. Though wet, it was still warm and felt just right in his palm.

He stood aside and allowed Maybelle to enter first.

She shivered and crossed her arms over her chest. "I haven't run in the rain like that since I was a teenager."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to plow into you like that." His apology she waved off in a friendly 'it's okay' gesture.

"Don't worry about it. I had hoped I would have made it home before the bottom fell out, but I guess today wasn't my lucky day."

"I guess we're lucky we didn't get much farther before it did." Again the thunder rumbled. "I think we'll be waiting it out."

He slipped out of his jacket and dropped it over the nearest chair. As he turned around catching sight of Maybelle's full silhouette, his breath seemed to disappear. The rain caused her dress to cling. It was a solid blue, something like royal. Now, darker from the rain's contribution. It clung to her, as he noticed, especially across her chest and hips. Corny looked away, hoping his cheeks weren't burning. "I'll go call us a cab."

Maybelle shrugged out of her went dress jacket and draped it over her makeup chair. "You don't have to." She said as she felt around for a light switch.

Corny walked towards the stage manager's office, knowing a phone could be found there. He stopped inside the door and felt around for a light switch. Finding it, the sudden bloom of light caused him to cover his eyes. He shut the door and rested against it. A deep breath escaped him. In the privacy of the little office, he could let his nervousness show. Realizing how close he'd been to her had just hit him like a ton of rocks, leaving him dizzy and off balance.

Another anxious breath passed through his lips. "It's okay. It's okay," he chanted to himself.

He picked up the phone receiver and found silence. Dead air. Apparently, the storm had taken the phone lines out. They'd be lucky if the power stayed on.

Then, there was a scream. Maybelle's screaming. He was off like a shot, racing back into the makeup room. "What's wrong?" Corny's eyes searched about wildly.

She turned to him. Her expression of mournful sorrow fell and she seemed to be smiling though she wasn't. "Didn't mean to startle you…It's just--" She sighed lowly. "My hair."

Her sun yellow curls hung limply, drowned from the downpour. In the dimmed light, they appeared tawnier—like honey, than spring yellow. "Nothing a little hairspray can't fix." He said genuinely.

The clap of thunder filled the room and rattled the building. "I got chills!" They said over each other. At the realization, they stopped and stared at each other until Maybelle started to laugh. Caught off guard, but finally relaxed, Corny laughed and rubbed the back of his neck.

Maybelle raked her fingers through the loose curls and twisted them so that she could pin them up in a single bun. "You gotta love Baltimore. It's the home of the unexpected."

"You can say that again." Corny chuckled.

That's what he could say about their friendship. Truly, unexpected, but very enriching and fulfilling. Honestly, Maybelle was one of the most interesting people he'd ever met. She had a story for everything and she was always knew when the next big thing was coming.

They simply sat at the makeup stations. He was ruminating and as nervous as a Junebug in December. It didn't make sense for him to just remain so quiet around the person occupying his thoughts at the moment. Finding the nerve, he began, "So…"

Maybelle cocked her head to the side. Under her gaze, he felt like he was being examined and thanked God for the lack of bright lighting. "We don't have to make small talk if you don't want to."

His head popped up. "Wait—No, I didn't mean that I didn't want talk. I'm just nervous. "

"Nervous? What for?" She leaned against the makeup table with her arms folded over her chest. Her eyes bright in amusement. "We're friends."

_Friends?_ She said they were 'friends'. He never imagined how great that would sound. "Yeah….Yes, we are." He said with more confidence.

"So--" Maybelle urged this time.

"I like the way you sing." By any estimation, Corny's outburst would have been considered blurting and yes, he was back to being nervous.

"Thank you. Sometimes, you just have a song in your heart and it needs to come out. "

Corny loosened his tie. "Would you mind?"

"Mind what?" Maybelle replied.

"Singing for me. Just a little something."

She began a little tune. Slow and melodic in perfect rhythm with the rain. It was peaceful and sonorous.

She drifted or maybe he had. Nearly shoulder to shoulder, he could smell the peppermint on her breath. Transfixed, he simply watched her lips move. Her tune tapered to a finish. "Are you comfortable?"

"It doesn't matter that I'm soaking wet. I could listen to you sing day or night." He admitted.

She nudged her shoulder with his. Her skin stuck to the wet fabric of his shirt, forcing them to remain close. "You say the sweetest thing, Mr. Collins." The sparkle in her chocolate brown eyes emphasized her gentle teasing.

"Maybelle, please," he whispered as he looked into her eyes.

Her face softened, melting her quizzical look away. "Yeah, Corny."

"Call me, Charlie."

"Okay, Charlie." Maybelle said his name, his real name and his heart skipped a beat. There was no fighting the feeling low in his belly. He wanted to touch her skin. Run his fingers over it. He openly gazed at her nearly naked shoulders and arms. Her skin like a mix of caramel and honey made him think of a great number of sweet things and velvet.

A lone finger hovered inches away trembling. "This was all quite unexpected. Forgive me, if I don't seem to want this evening to end." His finger dropped to her skin and he waited for her reaction. His pulse raced.

Her rosy lips curled into a sparkling grin. "I agree."

He inclined his head up while she positioned her head down. The air between them wasn't thick, just quiet. Their lips met in a slow sweet kiss. A simple peck that lasted one second, then two, then three.

As Maybelle pulled away, Charlie tried to remember the last he'd ever had a kiss that sweet. "What are you doing later?" She uttered inches away from his reddened lips.

His arms wrapped around her, settling just above the swell of her hips. "Nothing pressing." He dove back into the kiss.

"Good, you're coming to dinner as soon as this--" Maybelle waved her finger in the direction of thing rain beating against the windows. "Is over."

The rain continued to beat against the windows. Inside the studio, Maybelle and Corny leaned against the counter. Wet, yet warm, they remained close. Corny had begun the day expecting much of the same old thing. But Maybelle, true to form, made the day special and the best surprise meeting ever. The rain couldn't stop the ray of sunshine that had just entered his life. There was no telling where this would lead and truthfully, he felt the consequences bedamned.

Just as his evening had started, he whispered, "Maybelle."

The rain continued to fall.

The End


End file.
